Auburn basketball news: Tigers-USF 2021-22 Tampa matchup announced

All of the biggest events across the sporting world all make their way to Tampa. The NFL’s Super Bowl, WWE’s WrestleMania, and now NCAA basketball’s eventual 2022 champion Auburn basketball Tigers are all gracing Tampa in 2021.

In a major year for the Sunshine State–who kicked off humanity’s most important comeback year following the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged 2020 by hosting Auburn football in the Citrus Bowl–the most improved college basketball team in the nation is now further making waves in Florida.

John Rothstein–one of college basketball Twitter’s best follows–broke the news on Wednesday morning.

Per Rothstein’s official page:

Walker Kessler, Zep Jasper, Jabari Smith, Trey Alexander and Wendell Green Jr. are all Plains-bound. The recruitment cycle has been dominated by Bruce Pearl despite having a losing record in 2020-21…though the down-year followed two of the most exciting seasons in school history.

COVID-19 wiped out 2020 March Madness, and with it, a chance for Isaac Okoro, Austin Wiley, and Samir Doughty to replicate (or surpass) the magical Final Four run of the 2019 team. 2021 could be the long-awaited redemption run for Pearl and co.

Auburn basketball were crouching Tigers unable to leap to the top of the SEC once more due to the NCAA’s questionable handling of the Sharife Cooper situation. Justin Powell’s issues certainly didn’t make things any easier for the depleted Jungle, nor did Tyrell Jones’ transfer to the Sunbelt’s South Alabama.

That’s all behind us now, though. Alabama had their run at the top, but due to Nate Oats continually proving to be a shady character, the Yellowhammer State will rightfully be ruled by the good guys in Auburn.

They will be rewarded with a non-conference matchup in the beautiful sunshine of Tampa against a weak USF team.

Let’s hope an AAC letdown isn’t in store for 2021-22 after Auburn basketball took a loss on the chin to UCF last November.